This invention relates to shrunk-on sleeves on a shaft and more particularly to a method for removing and replacing sleeves shrunk on a shaft.
In large rotating machines, it is often desirable to install replaceable sleeves on a large shaft, because of the size of the shaft, the sleeves are not pressed on the shaft, but heated and allowed to cool on the shaft. This operation is normally referred to as heat shrinking, which produces an interference fit between the sleeve and the shaft to firmly attach the sleeve to the shaft.
After the machine has been in operation, it may be necessary to remove the sleeves as they become damaged or to remove the sleeve in order to remove other portions of the machine from the shaft. Often the sleeves are destroyed or are so badly distorted that new sleeves have to be installed.